When Mark and I arrived home we hurried in the front door. He was just as anxious as me to see who my guest was, so we ended up getting stuck in the door as we tried to be the first one in the house.

"Mark!" I complained.

"Yes, Bella?" he asked innocently.

"What happened to, 'ladies first?'"

"I want to catch you in case you fall," he answered.

"Let me in," I commanded. "It's my guest!"

"Bells?" Charlie called from the living room.

"I'm here!" I called back. "Give me a moment and I'll be right there."

Mark finally gave me a kiss and pulled back so I could get in. Unfortunately, I tripped, and he had to catch me.

"See? I told you I should have gone first," he smirked once he had helped me back onto my feet.

I gave him a passionate kiss and rushed towards the living room before he could recover from the shock. "That wouldn't have happened if you would have let me go first," I called back.

"Cheater," Mark accused me as soon as he recovered from the shock of my kiss.

"No, I just know how to play my cards," I answered, and stepped into the living room.

"Hi, Bella," Angela said. She was sitting on the couch next to Charlie.

"Ang!" I exclaimed, and went to give her a hug. She stood up before I could get to her, and we hugged each other tightly. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Last time we saw each other was at the wedding," she said. "I stopped by to say hi and see how you were doing. It looks like you're doing pretty well." She smiled, and gave Mark a shy look.

"It's good to see you again, Angela," Mark said. "You are Angela Weber, right?"

"That's right," she answered with a smile.

"I'll leave you kids to your reunion," Charlie said as he stood up. "They called me into the office a little while ago, and I said I'd be there as soon as you were home, Bells."

"What's wrong? What could possibly be happening on Christmas Eve that would require you to leave your family and go to work?" I asked, fighting back the urge to cry. 'Well, there goes Carlisle's theory that we'll all be in the same house,' I thought.

"Apparently those wolves are back," Charlie answered. "We have a few missing hikers again."

"Hikers in the winter?" Mark asked.

"Snow and cold doesn't stop the crazy people," I said, speaking from my experience at Newton's Outfitters. "Do you have to go, Dad?"

"Sorry, Bells," he answered. "I don't know when I'll be home."

"Be careful," I pleaded. Mark gave me a strange look, but didn't say anything.

"I will," Charlie promised. "You kids have fun." He gave us all a nod and left.

"I'm going to go take a shower so you girls can have an opportunity to catch up without me in the way," Mark said. "Bella, don't forget to eat something."

"I won't," I said, and gave him a kiss. He smiled and went upstairs.

"So how are things with Mark?" Angela asked.

"They're going great," I said.

"Just great?" Angela asked. I mentally cringed when I remembered that Angela was always the perceptive one.

"How much better can we get than great?" I asked.

Angela shrugged. "I don't know. It was just the way you said it, I suppose. It didn't sound great. Are you two having problems?"

"Not really," I answered.

"Would you like to explain that?" she asked. She watched me for my reaction, so I kept a smooth face as I thought.

"Not particularly," I finally answered.

"He isn't abusive, is he?" Angela asked quietly.

"No!" I exclaimed. "He's a perfectly wonderful husband, and I don't deserve him because he's so wonderful."

"Then what's the problem?" Angela asked.

"How did we get on this topic?" I asked, trying to distract her.

"I can tell something isn't right," Angela answered. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," I insisted. "Everything is fine."

"Bella," Angela said quietly, "You're a horrible liar. I can tell something is wrong."

"It's not about Mark," I insisted.

"It's about Edward, isn't it?" she asked.

"When did Edward come up?" I asked.

"I saw him giving you and Mark a ride through town the other day," Angela answered. "You hadn't seen him since he left, had you?"

"No, I hadn't," I answered.

"And you still love him, don't you?"

"What is this, 20 questions?"

"Bella," she said warningly.

"Yes, I still love him," I answered. "Are you happy now?"

"Do you love him more than Mark?"

"I always have," I admitted.

"Does Mark know that?"

"I do," Mark answered from the doorway. I hadn't heard him come back down the stairs, but apparently he had. His things for his shower were in his arms, but apparently he wasn't going to take a shower soon.

"You do?" Angela asked.

"That's why Bella and I married each other," Mark explained. He looked at me, silently asking if it was okay to elaborate. I nodded.

"What?" Angela asked, confused.

"I'm going to go get something to eat," I announced as Mark moved back into the room. He set his shower things on the chair and went to sit on the couch next to Angela.

"Okay," Mark answered as he sat down.

I exited to the kitchen and started rummaging around in the refrigerator for something to eat while attempting to block out the conversation from the other room. I found some lasagna I had made a few days before and put a piece in the microwave.

"Bella," someone hissed, and I looked up at the stairs. Alice was standing at the top, beckoning for me to join her. I crossed the room as quietly as I could and stood about halfway up the stairs.

"What?" I whispered.

"Don't let Angela leave yet. Try to convince her to spend the night. She'll have your scent on her, and if Victoria realizes that she's been here…" she trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. She didn't have to. I nodded in understanding.

"What about Charlie?" I whispered back.

"We're guarding him too," Alice assured me.

"I'm going to go eat now," I said. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Alice hesitated before answering. "Mark has questions," she said simply. "You won't get much sleep tonight."

"Great," I groaned. "More lies to form."

"Don't lie," she said, and shook her head. "Just don't give him fine details. Carlisle said you can tell him however much you want to as long as you think he'll keep quiet about it."

"Thanks for the warning," I said, and turned to go back downstairs.

Alice disappeared soundlessly, and I returned to the kitchen to take my lasagna out of the microwave.

"Well, you both are pretty good actors, then, because you had a lot of people fooled," I heard Angela tell Mark.

"We had to be," I said as I entered the room again. "Otherwise all of that effort would have been for nothing."

"So Charlie doesn't know?" Angela asked.

"No," I answered as I sat down in another chair with my plate and fork. "I haven't told anyone, except now you and I told my La Push friends the other day because… well, that's a whole different story. But hardly anyone knows."

"More than should," Mark said, "but not that many."

"I'm sorry," Angela said after a brief pause. "I shouldn't have pried."

"It's okay," I said with a shrug. "It's not that big of a deal. Just don't tell anybody and we'll be fine."

"What do you plan on doing since Edward's back?" Angela asked.

"I really am going to go take a shower this time," Mark said in an attempt to escape... again. He stood up and retrieved his things before going back upstairs.

"I'm staying with Mark," I answered. "I still love Edward, but I can't trust him anymore."

"He left twice, and the first time you learned your lesson by trusting him again," Angela mused out loud. "Why did he leave, anyway?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know. He won't tell me."

"Definitely untrustworthy," Angela said with a nod. "So you are planning on staying with Mark? Does Edward know that?"

"I've told him that if he wants me to trust him and get back together with him, that he had better have a reason that would justify me leaving Mark after all he's done for me. Edward knows that will be next to impossible."

"Are you happy with Mark?" Angela asked quietly once the water for the shower started running.

I moved over to the couch and whispered in her ear to try to prevent vampire eavesdroppers. "I'm as happy as I can get with anyone who isn't Edward."

"Is Edward really that amazing?" Angela asked. "I mean, I know he's good looking, but is he really so wonderful that you're miserable without him?"

"Yes," I sighed. "Unfortunately he is."

"You've got it bad," Angela said sympathetically.

"I know," I answered. "Anyway, on to more pleasant subjects. What have you been up to since we say each other last?"

"I'm studying to become a doctor," Angela answered with a blush. "It's hard work."

"A doctor?!" I exclaimed. "That's great! I can totally see you as a doctor."

"I can too," she laughed. "I think it will be fun, once I'm through college."

"You'll have to remember me when you're rich and one of the best doctors around," I teased her.

"I don't think I'll be one of the best," she protested, but I could see that she liked the idea. "But I hope to become very rich."

"Don't we all?" I questioned. I took the last bite of my lasagna and set the plate on the coffee table. "Any guys catch your eye yet?"

"Not really," she answered. "Though if you and Mark do break up, let me know. He seems so cute." She giggled, and I couldn't help but laugh too.

"You'll be the second person I tell," I promised.

"Edward being the first?" she guessed.

"No, Mark," I corrected her. "Edward will be the third." We both laughed. Suddenly, I sat up straighter. "How rude of me! Do you want something to eat or drink?"

"I think I'm okay," Angela answered. "I wasn't planning on staying much longer."

"You should spend the night here!" I exclaimed. "We can have a slumber party and stay up late talking and catching up."

"I don't know, Bella, it's Christmas Eve. I'm sure my parents want me to go home…" she gave me an apologetic look.

"That's okay," I said, trying to look disappointed. "I understand."

She pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "Where's your phone? I'll call my parents and see when they expect me home."

"Thanks!" I exclaimed, and gave her another hug. "It's in the kitchen!" I jumped up and pulled her out of the living room with me.